15 Trail Running Accessories That Are Genuinely Useful
A head torch, a soft flask and a bivvy bag before anything else. Then twelve more, grouped by what they solve, with a named product for each and when you actually need it.
Affiliate disclosure: links to Amazon and Blacks in this guide are affiliate links. If you buy through one we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It makes no difference to what we tell you to carry.
The short version
You don't need fifteen things. You need to see the ground, carry water, and get through an unplanned stop without it becoming a rescue. Three items do that, and most runners should own them before anything else on this page.
A head torch: Petzl ACTIK CORE — because from October to March most UK training happens in the dark, and it's on every race kit list. 625 lumens, rechargeable, takes AAAs when you forget to charge it. If you'll be out all night or on technical ground, the head torch guide has the step up.
A soft flask: HydraPak UltraFlask Speed 500 — because water is the thing you run out of, and a flask that sits still in a vest pocket is the difference between drinking and not bothering. This is the shape most pockets are built around. Salomon vest, Salomon flask; the soft flask guide explains why.
An emergency bag: Lifesystems survival bag — because the thing that turns a twisted ankle into a mountain rescue callout is an hour sitting still in wind at 600m. A bivvy bag weighs a hundred grams, costs less than a race entry, lives in the bottom of the vest and is mandatory kit at most UK races that go anywhere remote. Buy it once and forget it's there until you need it.
After those three, it depends on the run. A one-hour loop from the car needs nothing else. A winter day in the Dales needs most of the list below.
We haven't used all fifteen of these. They're here because they solve a problem UK runners actually have, and where we name a product it's one that holds up against the manufacturer's own claims rather than against other people's lists.
The rest, by what they're for
Staying safe when it goes wrong
Small first-aid and blister kit. Tape, a dressing, blister patches and your own medication. Not a household first-aid box. The Lifesystems Light & Dry Micro is about the right size, and knowing how to use what's in it matters more than what's in it. Blacks · Amazon
Whistle. Most vests have one sewn in. Check it's still attached, check it's loud, and keep it where you can reach it with one hand rather than in a rear pocket. If yours has gone, a pealess one weighs nothing. Blacks · Amazon
Waterproof phone case. Phones fail when wet at exactly the moment you need them. A simple sealed pouch also keeps sweat out of the charging port. Touchscreens are awkward through a thick one, so buy thin. Amazon
Compass. If you run where the phone dies and the cloud comes down, a baseplate compass and the ability to use it are the backup. The Silva Field is the standard one. The safety guides cover the rest. Blacks
Not rubbing, not stopping
Anti-chafe balm: BodyGlide Original. On before you dress, on the bits that rubbed last time. A stick in the drop bag has saved more ultras than any gel. The anti-chafe guide covers the long-and-wet alternatives. Amazon
Trail gaiters. For scree, sand, heather and any route where you're stopping every twenty minutes to empty a shoe. Low ankle covers, not walking gaiters. They don't make a shoe waterproof and aren't meant to. Amazon
Trail running poles. Route-specific: worth it on long steep climbs and hiking-heavy ultras, a nuisance on runnable ground, and they need practice and somewhere to stow them. The poles guide has the three worth buying and how to choose a length.
Carrying things
Running belt. For runs where a vest is overkill: phone, key, one gel. It has to sit still when loaded, which is the whole test. FlipBelt and SPIbelt fit differently; try one on. Amazon
Collapsible cup. Cup-free aid stations are now the norm at UK trail races. A soft cup weighs nothing and lives in the vest. Practise opening it one-handed. Amazon · Blacks
Dry bags or zip pouches. Warm layer in one, electronics in another, food in a third, rubbish in a fourth. Cold hands searching a full vest for a hat is when organisation earns its keep. Water-resistant is not submersible. Amazon
Portable charger and short cable. A small 5,000 to 10,000mAh bank keeps a phone or watch alive through an ultra or a long navigation day. Small is the point: the big one stays at home. Cold and cheap cables both eat capacity. Amazon
Weather
Buff. Neck warmer, hat, ear cover, sweatband, sun protection. The most-used small item in most vests and on most mandatory kit lists. The thin one; a thin tube isn't a winter hat. Amazon
Cap or visor. Rain out of your eyes and sun off your face, on a brim light enough to forget. Check it works under a head torch strap; a rigid peak and some lamps don't get on. Amazon
All fifteen at a glance
| Accessory | What it solves | When you need it | Named pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head torch | Seeing the ground | Any run that ends after dark | Petzl ACTIK CORE |
| Soft flask | Water without sloshing | Anything over an hour | HydraPak UltraFlask Speed 500 |
| Emergency bivvy | An unplanned stop | Anywhere remote or cold | Lifesystems survival bag |
| First-aid and blister kit | Small problems staying small | Long and remote runs | Lifesystems Light & Dry Micro |
| Whistle | Being heard | Remote routes, mandatory kit | Usually built into the vest |
| Waterproof phone case | A phone that still works | Wet routes, river crossings | Any thin sealed pouch |
| Compass | Navigation when the phone dies | Hills in cloud | Silva Field |
| Anti-chafe balm | Friction | Long runs, rain, heat | BodyGlide Original |
| Trail gaiters | Grit in shoes | Scree, sand, heather | Low ankle type |
| Poles | Long steep climbs | Mountain ultras | See the poles guide |
| Running belt | Phone and key, no vest | Short local runs | FlipBelt or SPIbelt |
| Collapsible cup | Cup-free aid stations | Races | HydraPak SpeedCup |
| Dry bags | Finding things with cold hands | Long wet runs, drop bags | Any small set |
| Portable charger | Phone and watch alive | Ultras, navigation days | Anker 10,000mAh |
| Buff | Warmth, sun, sweat | Most of the year | Buff Original |
What actually matters
Start with the route. A local hour needs a phone and maybe a flask. A winter mountain day needs the torch, the bivvy, the layers, the map and the compass, and someone knowing where you've gone. Match kit to remoteness, daylight, refill points and how you'd get off if it went wrong.
Safety before convenience. A bivvy, a whistle and a warm layer matter more than anything that saves seconds at an aid station.
Run with all of it together. The flask may not fit the vest, the cap may clash with the torch, the poles may block the food pocket. Find that out on a Tuesday, not at mile thirty.
Check what you already own. Most vests come with a whistle, pole loops and a key clip. Most phones have a torch that's fine for finding the car. Don't buy the same thing twice.
Frequently asked questions
What accessories do trail runners need?
A way to carry water, a phone, a light if you'll finish after dark and a bivvy bag if you're going anywhere remote. The rest depends on the route and the weather.
Do I need a trail running vest?
Not for every run. A belt or a handheld flask covers a short local loop. A vest earns its place once you're carrying water, a layer and emergency kit together.
What should I carry on a two-hour trail run?
Phone, water if there's nowhere to refill, something to eat, a layer for the weather that's forecast, and a bivvy if the route is remote. Adjust for the season.
Are running poles essential?
No. They're route-specific: worth it on long steep climbs and hiking-heavy ultras, and a nuisance on runnable ground.
What is the most useful trail running gift?
A head torch, a soft flask or a bivvy bag: all get used and none need a size. The gifts guide has fifteen options.
Should I buy cheap trail running accessories?
Cheap is fine for a cup, a dry bag or a belt. Spend properly where failure has consequences: the torch, the bivvy, anything you'd be relying on at 2am.